Geography

Malawi is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The total area of the country is 118,480 Sq.Km. Malawi ranks 100^th among the largest countries in the world. It forms 0.1% of the total area of the world. The geographical coordinates of Malawi are between latitudes 9°22’ S and 17°03’ S and longitudes 33°40’ E and 35°55’ E. Tanzania borders it to the north and northeast, Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest, and Zambia to the west. Malawi is characterized by mountains in the southern region, the plateau in the central and northern areas, valleys, and plains. Lake Nyasa, known in Malawi as Lake Malawi, forms almost two-thirds of Malawi’s eastern border and more than a quarter of the total area of Malawi.

Population and land use

The population of Malawi was 18.6 Million in 2019 as per the Population Reference Bureau. Malawi ranks 62^nd among the most populous countries of the world and accounts for 0.25% of the total world population. The density of the population of Malawi is 203 inhabitants per Sq.Km. Major ethnic groups of Malawi include Chewa, Lomwe, Wayao, Ngoni, and Tumboka. Other smaller ethnic groups include Nyanja, Nyasa Tonga, and Ndonde Hamba. Out of the total area of 118,480 Sq.Km., the land area of Malawi is 94,280 Sq.Km. which is about 80% of the total area of Malawi. The forest area covers about 31,470 Sq.Km. and waterbodies cover about 20% of Malawi.

Climate and rainfall

Malawi has a combination of tropical and continental climates, which are primarily determined by the water mass of Lake Malawi. Malawi is hot in the low-lying areas in the south of the country, and the northern mountains form the temperate zone. The mountains provide respite to what could otherwise be an equatorial climate. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures in the plateau are 28°C and 10°C, respectively. And, the maximum and minimum temperatures in the rift valley plains are 32°C and 14°C, respectively. The highest temperatures are witnessed in October/November, while the lowest temperatures are experienced in June/July. There are two distinct seasons in Malawi. The rainy season begins in November and ends in April. And the dry season starts in May and ends in October. The dry season has two distinct periods. The cool, dry period occurs from May to July and the hot, dry period from August to October. Annual rainfall in Malawi ranges from 700 to 2,400 mm with a mean yearly rainfall of 1,180 mm.

Food and agriculture

The Malawi predominantly has agricultural economy. The agricultural land area covers about 56,500 Sq.Km. Over 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming, although agriculture contributes only a quarter of the country’s GDP. However, Malawi invests about 28% of the GDP in agriculture, which is much more than any other African country with the country’s GDP. Agriculture accounts for about 90% of the country’s export earnings. The main agricultural products of Malawi include sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, peanuts, potatoes, sorghum, paprika etc. Owing to disastrously low yields in agriculture, Malawi began a program of fertilizer subsidies in 2006. The Fertiliser Input Subsidy Program (FISP) was designed to re-energize the land and boost crop production.

Irrigation and drainage

The estimates of irrigation potential for Malawi range from 200,000 ha for regular irrigation and may go up to 480,000 ha for informal irrigation. The irrigation potential for small-scale irrigation is estimated to be around 100,000 ha. Most of the irrigable land lies in the plains along the shores of Lake Malawi in Karonga and Nkhotakota-Salima, the Lake Chilwa Plain, the Lower Shire Valley, and the floodplain of the Limphasa River in Nkhata Bay. Of these, the Lower Shire Valley has the greatest potential for irrigation development in the country. These areas have fertile soil and adequate water resources for the development of irrigated agriculture. There are two major drainage systems in Malawi. The Lake Malawi system is part of the Zambezi River basin. The Shire River is the only outlet of the lake with an average flow of 400 m³/s. About 91% of the country is located in the Zambezi River basin. The Lake Chilwa system is shared with Mozambique. Lake Chilwa is an endorheic basin draining rivers originating from the eastern slopes of the Shire Highlands, the Zomba Plateau and the northern slopes of the Mulanje Massif. The total area under Sprinkler Irrigation in Malawi is 0.043 Mha, and the total area under Micro Irrigation is about 0.005 Mha.

Water resources management

Malawi is considered to be rich in water resources, which are stored in wetlands, including lakes, rivers, reservoirs, marshes, and aquifers. There are nine major dams. In addition to these, there are 700-750 small dams. However, many of the dams are in a state of disrepair. According to the Water Resources Board, any dam with a dam height of 4.5 m and above is classified as a large dam. Lake Malawi is sometimes called the Calendar Lake as it is about 587 Km long and 84 Km wide. The Shire River flows from the south end of the lake and joins the Zambezi River 400 Km farther south in Mozambique. The surface of Lake Malawi is located at 1,500 ft above sea level, with a maximum depth of 2,300 ft, which means the lake bottom is over 700 ft below sea level at some points. Bua, Dwanga, and Rukuru Rivers drain into Lake Malawi. Lake Chilwa is an endorheic lake (internal drainage basin) which experiences significant evaporation. The country is divided into 17 Water Resources Areas (WRAs), which are subdivided into 78 Water Resources Units (WRUs) for water resources management.

Water sharing agreements

A significant part of Malawi’s water resources, such as Lake Malawi, Lake Chilwa, Lake Chiuta, and the Shire, Ruo, and Songwe Rivers, are shared with the neighboring countries of Mozambique and the United Republic of Tanzania as transboundary and cross-boundary waters. However, to avoid potential disputes, Malawi is a signatory to some international treaties and conventions, including the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses and the 1997 UN convention of non-navigational uses of international waters. At a bilateral level, Malawi is implementing a project for the stabilization of the Songwe River course jointly with the United Republic of Tanzania, through the Malawi/the United Republic of Tanzania Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPCC). The agreement on the establishment of a Joint Water Commission between Malawi and Mozambique was signed in November 2003. With Lake Malawi and the Shire River system being a sub-basin of the Zambezi watercourse, Malawi actively participates in the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM), which was signed by the eight member states of the Zambezi River Basin in July 2004 in Kasanne, Botswana. Within the SADC region, Malawi participates in other initiatives such as the SIDA initiative and the FAO-supported Convention on the Management of Lake Malawi/Nyasa for Sustainable Development.

ICID and National Committee

Malawi became a member of the ICID in 1967 and formed Malawi National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (MALCID). The Malawian YPs participated in the African Young Water Professional Forum (Af-YWPF) in Cairo, Egypt during 14-16 October 2018. Mr. Winston Sataya from Department of Irrigation represents MALCID and can be contacted at